General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Why are surgeons paid more than brick layers? [View all]Jim Lane
(11,175 posts)If bricklayers were suddenly paid as well as surgeons are now, then huge numbers of people would seek to get into bricklaying. Yes, you need physical stamina, but the training is so much cheaper and faster that there would still be a huge oversupply of bricklayers.
The same high compensation offered to surgeons doesn't lead to a horde of would-be surgeons flooding the field, because of barriers to entry. There's a limited number of places in medical school, and even those places can be filled only by someone who passes the entrance exam and is willing to undertake a colossal investment of time and money to become a surgeon.
Before you get upset about overpaid surgeons, consider pro athletes, many of whom are far more grossly overpaid. That's just the market at work.
The serious problem is with top business executives and Wall Street types who effectively set their own salaries and are thus insulated from the market.